I have a dream - the perfect muffin

I have a dream. 
Maybe it seems silly to you. 
I'd just like to make a fantastic-ly delicious and healthy muffin. 
That is huge and beautiful. 
That I can recreate and eat for breakfast. 
I would prefer that it be vegan and have a minimal amount of gluten.
But I'm ok if it's a little bit of gluten. 


Muffins just seem like the key! The perfect breakfast when I don't have time to make oatmeal or fruit just isn't enough. Grab one of your big healthy perfect muffins and head out the door! Or, instead a banana or pretzels for the kids when they get up from naps, "grab one of our perfect muffins, guys - it will fill you up longer and get some fruit in your body!". 


I know bakeries make perfect muffins but they have loads of stuff I don't want.
Whole foods makes PERFECT muffins with the PERFECT amount of ingredients, but I want a whole batch of mine to cost $3.99 (another great reason to make them), rather than just one. 


I've been googling how to make the perfect muffin. 
It's hard. 


Here are the tips that seem quite important: 
- Actually measure. This is a new one for me. I'm more of a "dash of this" kind of baker. Apparently to get the perfect muffin, I need to not only measure but document what it is I'm measuring. 
- That whole thing about mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately - that is actually important. Who knew? 
- I read somewhere to spray only the bottom of the muffin pan, not the sides. This helps the muffin to rise better. 
- I think I'm going to need one of these bad boys. Mere, that amazon gift card you gave me for my birthday, I've been hoarding it for the perfect thing but I think it's going to go to that muffin tin, this candle, and this book. THANK YOU! 
- And here's the deal, I think if I want overflowing muffin tins, I'm going to have to straight up overflow those things myself. Anyone able to make those beautiful overflowing muffins? HOW do I do it?! 

While I'm on my quest to find the perfect muffin, you can benefit from my success and failures of recipes. I made two batches today - one FAIL, here was the success (minus the non-overflowing top): 

dark chocolate/ peanut butter / apple / oatmeal muff: 

1.5 cups oatmeal

1 cup wheat flour

2 tspoons baking powder

2 tspoons salt (i like 'em salty)

.5 cup sugar

1 cup almond milk

1 chia egg (1 tbs chia seeds mixed with 6 tbs water)

1/3 cup oil (I prefer coconut) 

1 tsp vanilla

mix in: handful of dark chocolate chips

peanut butter chips

3/4 chopped apple 

22 minutes at 375. DELISH. 

Do you have a perfect muffin recipe? I don't care if it's not vegan, I'll adapt it! Hand it over sister! Share the wealth!

And especially if you know how to get those babies to overflow, spill it.

1% change, volume 2

Are you ready, pizza lovers?! Quinoa haters? 

Well come on, it would be silly to hate quinoa.
It didn't do anything to you and hate is a SUPER strong word.
:)

But here is your second 1% challenge.
What are you buying that you could easily be making?
Here are a few examples: 
pancake mix, pizza, cookies, crackers, bread, salsa, hummus, need I go on?!
Now don't try and make them all in one week - just pick on that you often consume and try an easy recipe.
Literally google, "easy hummus recipe" or "easy wheat bread recipe".
Play around, have fun, and don't be scared!

The thing is - most of these packaged or processed foods are coming packed with high fructose corn syrup, extra salt, additives, preservatives, fake colors, you name it. And there is an easy way to make all of them - so try it! A while ago, our family made this 1% change with pancake mix and started using an easy base recipe that we now both know by heart and make sometimes up to four times a week! It's super cheap, we can double it if needed, add fun ingredients, and we know exactly what our family is consuming!

Here is is: 
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1 cup of some sort of milk (almond, soy, cow's, shoot - try some chocolate milk for fun!)
2 tbsp of baking soda
pinch of salt
2 tbsp of honey or sugar
1 egg (or a chia seed egg for vegans)
1 tbsp of butter or oil
try some add-ins: blueberries, bananas, pears, apples, walnuts, pumpkin, dark chocolate! you name it!
Combine dry ingredients & wet ingredients separately, mix well.

griddle up those bad boys. 
to these, I believe I add pumpkin & nutella. 
and yes, I think I already blogged about them. 

1% change, volume 1

Hey friends! Hope ya'll are doing well today. 
Here's a new idea. 
In the past few days, I've gotten a few emails/comments on facebook/had a few conversations about questions people might have if they're more on the pizza side of the equation, rather than the quinoa. Which makes complete sense. Two years ago, my family and I ate basically only two fruits, three or four vegetables regularly, and most meats and processed foods. We considered ourselves healthy eaters because we didn't eat fast food twice a week, but I didn't know or care much more about the vast world of nutrition and TASTE that was untapped for me. So, here's a quote from a friend...

I am writing this to reach out to people that are eating healthy and passionately.  As friends, you know me and understand me.  I love reading your food blog but it seems soo foreign to me.  I watch the simple suggestions on The Biggest Loser and think  "well it would be nice if I ate any of those things..."

I am hoping that you might offer blog support to someone that is still stuck in the "pizza phase" of "pizza to quinoa."  I would love to know some basic tricks of the trade, ways to integrate healthy flavors in simple textures, baby steps for those of us that eat from boxes and cans.....

So her email, mixed with other conversations and comments got me thinking.
A few weeks ago, I heard a radio program about healthy living where a doctor was encouraging patients to make a 1% change every day. Don't try and be a yoga-going, coconut-water-drinking, vegan overnight. Who says that is even the healthiest BEST thing for you? Don't go to the grocery store and  in one day decide that you're going to stop buying anything but fruits and vegetables? But for goodness sakes, I'd be sad if this blog or the idea of healthy eating made you look at your cabinets, get overwhelmed and give up. 
So, one percent changes. Those are easy. 
I'm still into making those changes myself. 
And how great would it be if instead of hearing a health expert/doctor/coach from the Biggest Loser lecturing you about, "DON'T EAT THIS!" or "DON'T DO THAT!", you hand a friend/fellow mom/non-expert internet acquaintance to say, "maybe just try this! it's delicious!". I think that sounds muuuuuuch better. 

So you guys keep reading, we'll start brainstorming some 1% changes to post about once a week and we'll keep in mind that while some people are healthy living experts who could whip up a quinoa dish to make us cry (happy, yummy tears), there are plenty of people reading while eating some pizza from a box and needing some basic steps. 

And, are you ready? Here's your first one! 

Go to the store and get some pears. 

A few reasons why. 
1. Anytime you can eat a whole food, non-processed item for a snack - you're doing good. It naturally has things to nourish your body, do good things for your blood sugar, your skin, your hair. On and on and on. 
2. They're in season. Fruits in season are cheaper cost-wise, their flavor is at it's peak (they're the most DELICIOUS), and you know you aren't eating a fruit that was modified or fed weirdo chemicals to make it ripen out of season. PLUS you've put less of a strain on the environment by eating something that hasn't had to come from six countries away since pears are in season right now in the US. 

So, you've bought some pears. Eaten them instead of snickers or chips or wheat thins or beef jerky. Which, you know, were not saying are bad - but you've done something BETTER! And in buying and eating a pear, 

you've made a 1% massive change. 

my new almost favorite workout

Here's the situation, I needed to run today. I'm on this schedule, blah blah blah. 
Something you should know about me, is when I make a plan or a schedule - it is VERY hard for me to back out. It's like planners guilt or something. 


But you know how it goes, it was raining all day, the kids got up super early, on and on and on. All of a sudden it was 4:30pm, I knew I had to make dinner and I knew I wouldn't run after eating dinner - plus the whole act of wrestling three children into bed usually exhausts me to the point of inability to exercise. Enter wonderful Nonny, my mom, who decides to whisk the kiddos off to the grocery store and out for dinner. Husband is still working, dinner is mostly prepped. 
I seize my chance and run out in the drizzle. 


And I'M BOOKING IT. No ipod, no watch, nothing but me and a few miles. 
I literally kept thinking, "wow - I can't believe I've finally reached this point in running where I don't constantly think about wanting to stop!" What a feeling! And then, I hear a thunder of death resound through all of South Carolina and basically shake the pavement beneath my feet. 
Poop. The sky is about to open up. As I round the corner after my first 1.5 miles and embark on the next, I see my husband pulling out of the driveway - coming to get me because it is obviously too unsafe to run in this kind of end-of-times thunder & lightning. 

So what did I do? 
Make up a hilarious new marriage workout. Indoors. 
Turned on some music and decided I would move, move, move until my body gave out. 

Cardio for a few minutes, weights for a few minutes, yoga pose. Repeat. 

jumping jacks. bicep/hammer curls. pigeon. 

alternating front kicks. shoulder press. half moon. 

When I ran out of ideas, I asked Nick to yell out new moves. 
This was not the wisest idea. His suggestions were always too hard. But when your husband is standing over you, WATCHING YOU, (and then taking pictures of you!?), how can you not complete his suggestions? His last suggestions was 20 complete cycles of the running the stairs at my parents house. Around number 13, I think I yelled, "you're putting the kids to bed!"Around number 15, I croaked, "puh-lease get me some water!"

Not as good or as fun as my semi-successful-seming run, but it was a blast to get drill-sargent-barked-at by my husband. 

getting you through the day

It was one of those mornings. 
This morning, I woke up, and felt the burden to be a good wife/mom/lady - but no ability to do any of those things. I was just too burnt out.
The only remedy I knew was some quiet time reading and praying and nutella pumpkin pancakes. To be honest with you - it didn't HAVE to be nutella pumpkin pancakes. 
It just needed to be something that I could make that would feel like a celebration for my family, something I could make well and figuratively just give them a little hug though their tummies. 


It worked. 

Not vegan. Not low-fat or low-calorie. Not light on love either. 
I even used half and half instead of almond milk. 
Because it was one of those days that I needed to use cuddling over "please-watch-the-tv-while-I-do-blank" and on those days, lavishing your babes with pancakes seems fitting. 

What is for you, today?
What's the extra excitement that will add inspiration? 
What can you do well to make the world a little fuller? 

If it's nutella pumpkin pancake's - here's my recipe: 

Nutella Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups flour of your choice

1.5 cups milk of your choice

handful of dry oats

.5 cup of canned pumpkin

2 eggs
2 tbsp honey

2 tablespoons baking powder

sprinkle of salt

squirt of vanilla

dash of cinnamon, nutmeg

3 tbs oil of choice

generous, generous dollop of nutella

banana splits & the v word.

deliciouso snack of the day. banana splits.

split banana, drizzled in sunflower seed butter, honey, and sprinkled with granola.

I wanted to follow up a little bit about yesterday's blog, and my big declaration.

Not just were the comments fun to read, but I also got some emails and chatted with some people who wanted to talk more about the whole veganism switch so...

Here are a few things I left out/want to respond to.

a) Despite my use of hyperbole, it's not really a big declaration. In general, we're not talking huge life change - more cutting out the occasional egg and not nibbling on pepperoni's while I make pizza for my kids. But this is a food blog, so you kind of have to make big deal about food:). Or at least, I think it's fun to.

b) The problem with using hyperbole for fun is that it makes it seem like food is sooooo important, which don't get me wrong - I mean, I do write a food blog:). But community trumps food, family trumps food, real life wins out every time. I've never told someone who's had me to dinner that I don't eat gluten and if my husband just begs me to eat frozen yogurt with him, well - goodness gracious, I don't want to hurt our marriage. But no matter what happens in my kitchen, food is still a miniscule piece of my life that brings me joy and causes me to worship the Lord who created it - rather than worshipping the food itself.

c) I love what Kara said - "don't think about what you can't have..". That is absolutely my philosophy. I wake up each morning and when it comes time to eat, I think - what is the most delicious, healthiest thing I can eat?! And it usually ends up being some vegan oatmeal. When it comes to lunch, my body genuinely prefers a massive salad or a veggie burger or some roasted carrots with hummus.

d) I love everyone who's worried about my protein intake:) I'm the same way and worry about everyone else's protein intake but never my own. But here's why I don't get too worried. a - I think Americans in general are too hyped up about protein. Self included. b - I eat an insane amount of nut butter:) And also many many other foods that provide lots of protein. Almonds, almond milk, oatmeal, granola, legumes, veggies, etc. But I promise if I start looking sickly, I'll take myself aside and have a serious talk.

e) Faythe, I wish I was there with you while you ate your string cheese and meatballs. I'm a big fan of meat/dairy eaters and I think they should eat them to the glory of God:). I would never pressure or really even encourage someone super close to me, (much less a stranger!) to make food changes like this. That is not my thing. I'll still be making my family burgers sans beans, pies when necessary and needed, as well giving my kiddos string cheese during grocery store meltdowns. This blog is still a celebration of food - not a weight to sit on anyone's shoulder and make them feel bad.

So there are my thoughts. Do you have any more? Let's keep talking.

I like this:)

Maybe tomorrow I'll announce I'm going to eat only beets for the rest of my days just to continue the conversation.

the meal that made me a vegan.

hunkle josh eating a bodacious bacon beef burger.

it gives people the crazy eyes.

For the past few years, I knew it was coming.

I even told Nick sometimes, told my friends - "I think I'll eventually be a vegan."

Why? Who knows, it just seemed like something lingering inside.

I guess because I'm a little bit of an extremist and to me, the extreme of clean eating seems to be veganism. But maybe not even, because maybe the extreme is raw foodism. But come on, I REALLY like my veggies cooked. In the back of my head, the idea of meat and dairy lingering in my small intestine has just bothered me a little. I know that a good grass-fed burger is entirely good for your soul and not so bad for your body. A yummy organic greek (homemade, even!) yogurt parfait makes me smile to think about. It's all good, all permissible, and I think even beneficial for us. And yet still, somewhere in the back of my head - I knew this was coming.

I was sort of playing around with it as it was. Though it sounds stupid and obnoxious to say, I already considered myself a ovo-flexitarian-who-didn't-eat-dairy. I eat eggs and occasionally eat meat, but don't eat dairy because of an allergy. Unless you're talking about frozen yogurt, and then I'm willing to make myself silk to ingest that stuff. So I wavered. Until this meal.


A simple black bean burger. Roasted Veggies. Staple salad.

But it was so good. So good. So good I groaned a few times.

I'd made bacon-beef-bodaciously-awesome burgers for the rest of the crew, and I wasn't even jeal. Cause come on, look at that BEAN BURGER.

I took about three bites and thought this is the meal that will make me a vegan.

Because if I can eat this and be fully satisfied, I have no business eating meat or dairy.

But here are some more solid reasons for those of you who haven't

tasted a black bean burger than changed your life:

- The "cheating" or unclean eating I do, is always meat or dairy. So being official about stopping consuming them will hopefully only clean up my diet further.

- I'm hoping it will make me more creative with fruits and vegetables in the kitchen.

- A good experiment makes me excited about life.

- Did I mention I like extremes?

- Because in all honesty, there is a big part of me that hopes if I keep running, eating clean, and doing yoga - I'll feel better when I'm thirty than I do at 26. And maybe I'll feel better at 36 than I do at 26. And if not eating dairy or meat helps that, I'm on board.

So, I'm giving it a try. Maybe for a week. Maybe forever.

Are you a vegan? Ever thought about it? Think it's stupid?

I'll be your guinea pig. I'll let you know if I feel better after a week or after two days or if it really stinks and if it's actually just impossible to give up fried eggs, bacon, and goat cheese.

While we're on that subject though, here is the list of foods I already miss:

- eggs

- goat cheese

- bacon

Hm. we'll see how this goes.

the building blocks.

I go through phases like it's no ones business.

I can't help it. To say I'm a creature of habit is putting it VERY lightly.

Food is the place in my life where this ABSOLUTELY manifests itself.

For two years, I ate eggs for breakfast and a turkey burger almost every day for lunch.

(I didn't even realize this until some friend started joking about how whenever they'd come over, I'd always offer them a costco turkey burger.)

Then, during the summer of 2009, twice a day I consumed some sort of frozen berry/granola concoction.

Then there was the black bean soup craze of spring 2010. I burped up so much black bean soup during afternoon workouts, I still can't enjoy it.

And Oh gosh, don't get me started on the ice cream during my third pregnancy.

Benjamin is essentially made of ice cream. If you cut him, he bleeds chocolate ice cream.

But always, always - salads have been a massive indicator of my habitually habits.

I use three or four salad building blocks for a few months at a time and then move on.

If you came for a playdate anytime between November and March of this past year, I offered you a spinach salad with dried cranberries, apples, balsamic, and honey.

Amen - Marilee, Lauren, Kim, and Annie?

The months after that, the building blocks changed to tri-colored mini peppers, roast beef, and tomatoes. Asian dressing and honey. Right Janel? Liz?

And now. I'm on a spinach, roma tomato, cucumber, and sesame seed combo.

That I insist on arranging in a semi-floral decor.

After the building blocks, it can go nuts. Eggplant, tofu, avocado. You name it.

Asian dressing, Italian, balsamic, just honey. Whatever you like.

Just as long as you start strong with the tomato, cucumber, & sesame seeds.

Please, please tell me you're as crazy with food habits.

Please. Or at least tell me what you put in your salad so I'll know where to head when I'm ready for some new building blocks:)

non-intuitive eating

So I tried an experiment.

It failed.

In the healthy food/eating/diet blog world there seem to be two camps.

a) calorie counters and b) intuitive eaters.

The calorie counters believe that the most logical way to lose weight is to consume the right amount of calories (from good, whole, healthy foods) and exercise appropriately as well. Simple math. Put in less of what you put out. If it takes your body 1700 calories a day to live, eat 1400 and exercise off 300. Repeat. Something like that.

The intuitive eaters tend to view calorie counting as restrictive and as a negative process that makes you feel yucky about healthy foods and how much you should have of them. Intuitive eating says instead, that if you go with your gut (no pun, obvi) about what you want/how much of it you want and you're eating healthy/whole foods - no counting should be necessary. Read more about that here.

Well, I tried an experiment to see if I could be an intuitive-eating-person-still-losing-weight.

To see if I could eat till I was almost satisfied-never full, exercise until I felt like I had truly pushed my body, and let the chips fall where they may. Well, the chips fell and my weight sure didn't. I haven't counted calories or been very intentional about planning my exercise for about three weeks and I've somehow stayed the same weight, but my body feels very different. It feels bloated and jiggly and uncomfortable.

So while I think both ideas are profitable and eventually I would prefer to be an intuitive eater again, for now - I'm back to my calorie counting/intentional exercise game plan.

For most people who read this blog, I'm assuming that healthy eating is just about good plain healthy food and a love for it. But are some of you like me? Is there an underlying desire or need to lose weight and if so, what is the wisest, healthiest way for you to go about it? Are you just doing it intuitively or do you have a plan?

Let's talk about it.

running for dummies, part 1

Happy Saturday, ya'll!

I hope you're doing something wildly fantastic or relaxing or luxurious.

If you're a runner - I hope you're going on a 12 mile long run that makes you feel like a winner:)

So I've been loving Carissa's good words on running these past few weeks and wanted to share my side of the story. Back, way back when (you know - two months ago), when I wrote this blog secretly. I also wrote a little about a decision to start running. Have you ever started doing something with very much doubt that it would go well? That was me and running.

I truly loved the freedom that it seemed to offer in exercise, the challenges that it would bring, but it just didn't seem like it would ever be possible.

Now - I'm about two months in and I've signed up for my first race.

For some reason, I decided that normal goals were for wusses and I skipped right over the 5k and went straight for the 10K. On October 11th. bahahahahahahahahaha.

(that's me hysterically laughing because I'm so nervous)

So I've been running two or three times a week, slowly building up my distance and not worrying a darn thing about my pace. Seriously - sometimes I run a mile in 8mins, 30. Sometimes it's like over ten minutes. Somedays I pump out 3 miles and some change without thinking about it and other days running a half a mile feels like the hardest thing I've ever done.

But here are my observations so far, from an absolute dummie-newbie-runner:

- If I push through the first mile and the first awful feeling of "I-absolutely-cannot-do-this", the rest is always much better.

- Music is very helpful. I absolutely need it. Unless I have someone to run with which is MUCH better.

- Cute running clothes help.

- Planning the meal I'm going to eat after the run is also a good coping mechanism for a hard run. If it's in the morning, I try to spend my second or third mile plotting out my post-run-oatmeal.

- On that note, anytime I try to run any time after 7am, it doesn't go so well. But maybe that's because I'm currently running in the dirty (and still quite hot) south.

- In general, I really like running. Way more than I thought.

I have to be honest, I'm still a little shocked each time I go out for a run and make the distance I intend to. I just never thought it would be possible. I have to get in a good schedule where I can find time to run consistently, do yoga, and do some weight training/circuit training because I can feel my body getting weaker in some ways - but once I get a little more settled - I think it will be better.

Tomorrow, I tackle 4.2 miles.

With my sweet husband by my side.

And - on this beauty.

cooking as therapy

Tonight I just needed cook. Not assemble some fruits and vegetable. Cook.
It took all afternoon, it meant skipping my run, and I may have had to ask my kids to leave the room once or twice. But it was worth it.
It was like $300 worth of therapy.
To cook. Here's the recipe (if you can call it that) for some turkey meatloaf & parsnip fries.

it started with some parsnips. I'll tell you the truth - I don't hate parsnip fries, I love them in fact. But prepping those bad boys is annoying.

Started 1.5 cups of red onion, several chopped cloves of garlic, and some olive oil doing nice things in the skillet.

Added some mushrooms.

A few tablespoons of worchestshire, your favorite hfcs-free ketchup, rosemary, parsley, salt, and pepper. Let all that goodness get you good & hungry. And let it reduce for a few minutes.

While your hunger increases and your veggies reduce, pulse 1 cup of oatmeal to make oat flour - or go grab some handy bread crumbs.

I prefer the oat flour, because come on - how nutritional does that look? Very is the answer you're looking for.

To the oat flour, add 1/3 cup milk (or almond milk or coconut milk if you want to be REALLY fun). Let that mixture sit for a few minutes, then add 1 egg and 1 egg white.

Add veggie mixture, 1.25 lbs ground turkey (or beef! or chicken! or tofu!!!).

Spoon into oiled baking dish.

Cover with two or three tablespoons of ketchup and sprinkle with rosemary.

Remember those obnoxiously-hard-to-prepare-but-super-delicious parsnip fries? Toss those in olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, & rosemary.

Set your oven for 400 degrees. Put the meatloaf in for 50 minutes, and the last 20 - give them some company with the parsnip fries.

Enjoy. More specifically, even though you're intending to go on a run and eat some salad later, skip your run - sit down with your family and have yourself two helpings of that turkey meatloaf. And smile.

weight loss? oh yeah.

That is kinda what started this whole business.
When I first started pizza to quinoa, it was mainly for accountability and to hopefully be an encouragement to other women trying to walk towards healthy living, while also hopefully losing weight. So here are the stats.

VB#: very big number is the very big number that I weighed after the durst settled after my third baby. This was a really uncomfortable number for me. I have no pictures of me during this period. I wasn't comfortable in my own skin.
down ten: after about ten months of dieting, some clean eating, a LOT of exercise. I was down about ten pounds. This was super discouraging.

- in early May, I decided to make a change. I decided to CRAZY clean up my calories, cut out gluten and dairy (which are both thyroid inhibitors) and I got my thyroid medicine tweeked a little. that led to...

down thirty: the clean eating, calorie watching helped me lose twenty more pounds pretty quickly - in about two months. It didn't feel all that hard. You know what was hard? Dieting and working my face off without losing any weight for the ten months before that. Also, food blogs helped a lot... they made me really excited about healthy food and it was so fun to to read about things I really wanted to read about.

now -

I've been in weirdo transition for about a month.

I've eaten some yucky, awesome, unhealthy, awesome food.

I left my tennis shoes in another town.

I had a random accident that left me unable to workout for a week and a half.

My running got much easier.

I left my tennis shoes in another town again.

And somehow, I've still lost a few more pounds.

But you know what, in this month - my thinking has shifted.

I'm not as obsessed with the weight loss goals, and I'm slowly growing less attentive to what's going on with the scale. Instead - I have new goals that are much more fun to think about.

With eating: my goal is to eat as healthy and deliciously as I possibly can when I wake up in the morning. I still tally my calories just a little to make sure I'm in line - but in general, I just eat what sounds really delicious to me.

With working out: I'm working towards my first 10k, which is a major goal for me. I want to be able to do yoga, run well, and throw in some 30 day shred most days a week without hurting myself. So those are goals I like.

What about you?

Is healthy living only about healthy living for you?

Are you just into healthy food or does it serve another function?

Is weight loss important?

What are your goals? What is your plan?

Let's talk about it.

ice cream for breakfast?

I've heard about "banana soft-serve" on a few vegan blogs and while it sounded great, I just didn't trust that it would change my life.

I was wrong.

elias had already had his own "ice cream" for breakfast, this was mine.

I topped mine with a little bit of strawberries, sunflower seed butter, and some kashi cereal.

back up off, ebug.

no seriously - leave my breakfast alone.

to make your very own....

banana soft serve

freeze a few bananas

blend or process with a hint of almond milk

top with whatever you want!

This would go great on top of smoothies, totally replacing ice cream, or as a light and delicious breakfast on a hot, late August morning. Enjoy, ya'll.

the winner, old fashioned style

Are you ready for enough pictures to make your nose bleed?

Are you just CRAZY to know who won the blog-name giveaway?

Is it you!?!

first, I tallied the responses and wrote down some of my favorite reasons.

which I will respond to in the near future.

some were seriously awesome.

here are all your comments, in all their glory.

so I just cut those bad boys up.

threw them in a sweet bowl of my mama's.

and asked for a lovely assistant, my sister caroline.

we may have just gotten back from spin class, and she still looks soooo cute.

oh to be in high school again:)

I got a little annoying and asked her to MAKE SURE SHE WAS MIXING WELL, OK?!

and then she pulled it! What does it say?!

oh, Michelle! Michelle Stratton! one of my favorite future Boston friends!

Let's go to coffee together soon!

To everyone who didn't win - I'm very sorry. I mean, really really sorry.

Thank you for your opinion and stay tuned to see what happens name-wise.

Many more giveaways will occur here. Shoot, maybe even next week.

Much love foodies, keep on eating.

Jessi

foodie on the run

If you think you really love good, fresh food and it's super important to you to nourish your body... don't go on a whirlwind, several city trip with three kids. I'm a healthy foodie on the run and the past few days are leaving me with an intense need for detox.

I've eaten a lot of oatmeal on the go. It feels like a healthy alternative. Until Benjamin tries to steal my oatmeal and he looks like he will cut me. Then that doesn't seem so healthy.

I've also reverted back to egg cake eating. Please don't tell me you don't know about egg cakes. You've just GOT to know about egg cakes! Recipe at the bottom.

A moment I'm not that proud of. We went to Ryan's. Ryan's is a straight up country buffet. It was kind of awesome. The kids were in heaven. I was in heaven. Here was my game plan: Eat whatever I want, but only eat a few bites each. I thoroughly enjoyed some fried chicken, fried okra, mashed potatoes, and fish sticks. Apparently they looked delicious.

Fish sticks? Seriously, Jessi?

When all else fails, default to ezekiel bread with goat cheese & honey.

or Trader Joe's black bean soup. De-lish.

So... this week I'm detoxing with fruits, veggies, and grains only. I'll let you know how it goes.

If you traveled this weekend or indulged nonetheless and need a fulfilling, lean breakfast - try an egg cake. Gluten free & dairy free, a lot like pancake.

Classic Eggcake

2 egg whites

1 egg

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

(whip all that together and cook up like a pancake)

Eat with whatever you'd eat pancakes with.

I say a little honey, blueberries, and a bit of almond butter.

Enjoy!

Also - giveaway winner will be posted TOMORROW!

& maybe some closure to the blog name dilemma? I think so!

birthday/sickday smoothie

If on your twenty-sixth birthday, you find yourself in need of a good morning smoothie because you're bummed out about the hole in your face, here is the one I suggest. Well, if you need a pick-me-up for any reason, really - try this baby out. It's similar to the "bit-off-more-than-I-could-chew" smoothie, just without the bulk of oatmeal.

In general, I think food should be an important part of any birthday - but yesterday food was definitely an afterthought. I had another veggie smoothie for lunch because I was on my way to doctor's appt. #1 and I scarfed down some whole foods vegan pizza for dinner after arriving home from doctor's appt. #2. There was also some soy chocolate ice cream and birthday cake in there some way, but the pain pills prevented me from picture taking or really much memory of either.

Nick keeps promising a birthday redo, so on that day,

I'll redo the food with adequate pictures, promise:)

birthday/sickday smoothie

1 banana

1/2 cup almond milk

1 tbsp chia seeds

1.5 tbsp almond butter

2 small pieces of dark chocolate

ice

blend & enjoy

..............

360 calories